March 4, 2008

For those keeping track, it’s been a while since I posted here. In fact, my boss is one of those people, and he e-mailed me the other day to ask when I would be announcing the “big news” I’ve promised. It’s coming, still. I’m working on it – when I find the time. In the meantime, things have been going swimmingly at my new blog, Personal PR. I’m also a part of the newly launched Brazen Careerist network. Oh yeah, and I got officially engaged and have been planning a wedding in the meantime. It’s now less than two months away. So needless to say, finding balance in my life has been one of those things that’s been a struggle. So for today, I thought I’d share with you a guest post blog friend Elysa asked me to write as an ABCs for Gen Y project she’s launched to celebrate her blog’s one year anniversary. Enjoy. And more about this site is coming soon. But first, I’ve got to focus on balance:

B is for Balance.

Balance means different things to different people. Some devote their careers to it. Others say it’s a myth. Most just want it, whether or not they think it’s really real. We talk about it a lot – different ideas on how to achieve it in our work, how to make it better in our lives. We talk about balance between work and home. Balance in our finances. Balance in our commitments. Balance in media coverage. Balance in politics. Balance. So it helps to know: what does balance look like?

Balance basically boils down to two things: omission and commission. What we choose to do and what we choose not to do. And both are important. Equally.

Tonight, for me, this is what balance looked like: watching a Barbara Walters special about the royal family, cuddled under a blanket with my fiance by my side and my laptop casually at hand. Instead of worrying about the floor of the bathroom that flooded the other day (fans are in place, I’ve done all I can for now). Instead of starting to address the hundreds of wedding invitations that came in today and need to go out in a week. It means calling my friend back to chat. It means not obsessing over my blog for one night. And going to bed before midnight.

It means not worrying that there’s no five-step formula for living a balanced life, even though if there were, I would have a lot easier time writing this post.

The truth is, I have a pretty typically busy twentysomething life: I don’t exactly have balance down yet. The best I get some days is go, go, go, crash. Sometimes, that’s the best I can approximate balance. But hey, I’m trying. And I think that’s the key to balance. Working at it.

So tonight, balance is about writing a short post instead of a long one. Smiling in the grocery line, no matter how long it was. Spending time on relationships. Giving myself time to do all the things in the few hours after work that make my life worth working for. Living my life. Being present in it.

Give yourself permission to find your balance. And then look for it. Wherever in the wild blue that takes you.

January 26, 2008

Hello, dear readers!

I’m excited to tell you all that there is some big news coming soon for Little Red Suit, so thank you for continuing to follow this blog while I worked on building my new blog at Personal PR! If you haven’t checked it out or subscribed yet, please do. It’s definitely been a labor of love, and the feedback and response to it has been awesome.

In the meantime, I just wanted to thank you for reading and supporting this site.

December 31, 2007

Since I started blogging at the beginning of this year, I’ve been amazed to watch the community here at Little Red Suit grow. The relationships I’ve built have inspired me creatively, empowered me in my career, and opened doors to opportunities I never could have imagined. It’s been a great ride, and I’ve closed the year by being named one of world’s the top career blogs and launching a new blog. I just wanted to say thanks to my readers for cheering me on, and as the year closes, I thought I’d share some of my favorite and most popular posts here at Little Red Suit. Personal Favorites

Your blog, your name, your brand, your risk. – This post was a part of my blogging beginnings when I was questioning the various issues of blogging, transparency, authenticity, and personal safety. The conversation this post spurred really kicked my blogging into high gear, and for me, blogging under my real byline has been a great choice.

Is Your Boss Reading Your Blog? – I’ve gotten a lot of mixed responses to this post, but one thing I’ve found in blogging is that my in-person network is very much a fan of my online work. This advice may not be for everyone (i.e. if your anonymous blog is about how much you hate your boss) , but if you’re blogging about a professional topic, there’s no reason to keep it from the people who are fans of you in “real” life.

The Power of Now: What Sets Gen Y Apart – Looking at the cultural and historical influences on Gen Y in our formative years, this controversial post defines Gen Y from the inside, the good, the bad and the ugly.

The Power of Personal PR – The introduction of my new blog to my readers. The concept of Personal PR is something I am so passionate about, I’m so thrilled to have a place to dedicate to exploring and defining it for our generation.

Grad School 101 – This series on grad school generated a lot of organic Google traffic. Seems like there are a lot of professionals and recent grads who are asking themselves questions about the merits of a master’s degree. It discussed the merits and pitfalls of going to grad school straight out of college and offered insight into how professionals can best leverage higher education.

About Little Red Suit – Not a post, but a page, this is one of the most popular and most valuable pieces of my blog. I’ve received a lot of feedback that what I’ve written here really helped generate loyal fans, because it explains the site, the metaphor behind it, and my purpose in writing. It’s a great example of why very blog needs a well written about page.

Does your boss know what you do? – Could be because research shows that the reason most people leave their jobs is that they hate their boss, but any post of mine containing this keyword has really taken off in popularity. I’m fortunate to have a great boss who is really supportive of my life and endeavors both in and outside of work, but that’s not the way it is for everyone. Regardless, it’s important for your career advancement for your boss to understand the actual work you do, unless of course you’re situation where all you do is sit around and draw pictures of them as the devil.